1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for providing data communication and power between discrete electronic devices and a central electronic device and, in particular, to a multi-function bus that contains a variety of functional wiring channels accessed along its length by connections that permit any of the supported functions to be exercised.
2. Description of Related Art
Most electronic devices used in computer applications and consumer electronics require cable connections for power and data transmission. A typical office workspace uses multiple devices or services such as printers, local area network (LAN) connections, audio speakers, external storage devices, and the like. Connection of these devices to one another results in an unsightly, confusing and potentially dangerous tangle of crisscrossed cables. A similar situation exists in a typical home entertainment installation, where multiple discrete audio/video devices must be interconnected.
Such cable clutter is more than unsightly; it is highly inefficient and frustrating to the user. Time is wasted each time a device must be installed or uninstalled since access to the cable is often difficult and the jumble of cables makes knowing which cable to connect confusing.
Devices to reduce cable clutter generally comprise mechanical enclosures that bundle many cables together. Such devices improve the appearance of the cables, but do not reduce the number of cables involved, and so do not reduce the complexity of the interconnections. In fact such devices may increase the difficulty in reconfiguring, troubleshooting or replacing connections.
Given that many office or home installations require connections to be made at varying locations, to access devices at different physical locations, simple mechanical enclosures are often impractical since placing or removing cables from the installation is permitted only at the ends of the locations.